At the Super Bowl, eyes on iPhones not the field

But inside the stadium, some weren’t watching. Big Game Bound Reporter and Atlanta Bureau Chief Ashley Bridges has the story.

It’s not just the biggest game in town, it’s the biggest in the world. Getting into the game didn’t come cheap: the cheapest ticket we found was $3,000. Earlier in the week stub hub told us the AVERAGE seat was running around $7,000. And yet, people left those $7,000 seats to stand around us. We were broadcasting from the one of the most popular spots in the stadium: THE PHONE CHARGING STATION. What? Why?

“To get everything on Instagram,” said Gabe, who explained he just wanted to share his experience.

There was absolute despair and disbelief when the built in charging cords weren’t working: a stranger tried to pay me 50 bucks for my charger, others showed up unsolicited with adult beverages begging to get a quick battery bump. Many missed entire quarters, one girl missed all of the third and half of the fourth. Hundreds of people approached us at that one charging station alone, so we had to ask: why do you care so much about charging your phone if you’re at the Super Bowl?

“You’re taking pictures, corresponding with your friends that want to be here and they’re not,” one woman said.

The irony – are you really there, if you’re standing here?

“That’s why I’m charging my phone because I’ve taken so many pictures, sent so many text messages,” one fan explained. “I ran out of juice and I need more.”

And the ultimate irony…watching the super bowl on your phone…while AT THE SUPER BOWL. Perfectly nice phone fanatic fans denying it’s part of the experience.

“No, I try to not make it part of the experience because it’s taking away from the moment,” a fan said.

All part of this story…shot, of course, on an iphone..during the game. Reporting in Atlanta, I’m Ashley Bridges.

Copyright 2019 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.